NYC Mayor Welcomes Media Banned by Trump to Joint Meeting
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that all members of the press are welcome in New York City, contrasting with President Trump's White House media policies.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city welcomed all media outlets for a joint meeting with President Donald Trump, a stance that extends to outlets recently banned from the White House. Mamdani's remarks came during a press conference at Gracie Mansion, where he addressed questions about his engagement with Trump regarding the president's decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House press briefings.
"I told the president that we're going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn. And that is something that I believe in, as everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique that we engage in," Mamdani stated. This occurred prior to Trump taking the stage, where the president defended his decision to exclude certain news organizations.
Trump, in his remarks, addressed the subsequent suspension of presidential pool coverage by other television networks, including FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News. He commented on the media's presence at the NYC meeting, saying, "It's interesting because they said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press."
The president elaborated on his reasons for engaging with these outlets, citing what he described as their failure to report fairly on his administration's achievements. "We have the best economic numbers for the country in the history of our country. We have $21 trillion pouring in, the biggest number ever... Nobody's ever done what we've done," Trump said.
He further argued that allowing certain media outlets access to the White House could be detrimental to national security, accusing them of disseminating what he termed "fake news." "I never get anything positive. It's always negative, even having to do with the war. We've done so well," he stated, referencing Iran and criticizing CNN as "fake news."
Trump concluded by stating his obligation to protect national security, which influenced his decision regarding media access. "They're very bad for the country, very bad for national security. So I have that obligation. So we'll see how it works out," he added.